- Juab High School principal announces retirement
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab High School Principal, M. Richard Durbin, is retiring from that position after 13 years of service.
“I’m retiring,” said Durbin. “I have three or four other things I am looking at doing now.”
He said he would know better, in a few weeks, which of those options he might actually be involved with in the future. He wasn’t sure which would materialize but all were things he had been interested in for some time.
As for now, he said, he had determined that he was going to retire and leave his position at the high school.
“For a variety of reasons, I decided that this was the time to retire,” he said.
The high school had a banner year last year. Placing in the top 20 percent of high schools in the state as recognized by KSL was one of them.
Students had achieved in many areas and one of those examples was having so many Sterling Scholars who were honored for achievement this past year.
There were all types of achievements of students this past year. He had been proud of all of them and, in the coming year, he knew the new student body officers were also people who would be good in the positions they were elected to hold.
“In many ways it is difficult to leave,” he said. “On the one hand it is difficult to leave and on the other hand it is better to leave when you are on the top.”
Durbin said he began his career as principal in the Juab School District in 1996.
“I know the high school is well-respected throughout the state,” said Durbin.
He knew from talking to other high school principals throughout the state that the school was admired.
He had been privileged to work with great staff and with great youth. He was happy that he had the experience of being in the position to work with such great people and was glad they had let him serve as the principal of the high school.
However, he said, he was looking forward to some anonymity.
Being a principal had meant that he was always at the school and had missed many family events because he was doing his job. He had stayed many nights until 9 p.m. as a regular schedule and had also attended all school activities.
“It will be nice to not be working until 9 p.m.,” he said.
Being a principal of the high school in a community the size of Nephi meant that you were principal at church, at the market and wherever you went.
“I have been high profile for many, many years. First I was head football coach and then I was principal,” Durbin said.
Prior to coming to Nephi he had been head football coach, a basketball coach and a teacher in the Duchesne School District for 18 years.
Over the years, Durbin has received compliments for the way he has conducted business as principal at the school. One of those came in as a compliment from a recent accredition team.
“The entire staff of Juab High School is commended for the time and effort devoted to studying and evaluating the various facets of the total program and to preparing the materials used by the Visiting Team,” said Steven O. Laing, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Public Instruction, as part of the report of the visiting accredition team during the last accredition of the high school. “The excellent leadership given by Principal Richard Durbin is commended.”
Delanie Hathaway, board president, said that Durbin had officially tendered his resignation in preparation for the retirement process.
“Principal Durbin has resigned,” she said.
As a result, the district has begun the process of replacing Durbin.
The Juab School District is advertising the opening for a principal at the Juab High School beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.
The High School contains grades 9 through 12 and serves approximately 680 students.
The desired qualifications the board is seeking in replacing Durbin are a person with a Utah Administrator/Supervisory Certificate; a background in Standards Based Education/Effective Instructional Process; a background in school finance and its practical application at the school level; and successful experience as a teacher.
Applicants are asked to submit the following: a letter of application, a current resume, three letters of reference and a transcript of credit.
They are also being asked to submit a position paper not to exceed three typewritten pages, dealing with the following topics: improving academic performance of students, promoting student social and leadership growth, creating parent involvement in the school, instilling an orderly school environment and evaluating staff effectively.
The application deadline was set, by the board, as Friday, July 10.
The board will then review applications and will set interviews with possible candidates.
The new principal must be online and ready to start by August 1.
Wednesday, July 15, is the next board meeting.
“I am excited to be doing what I am doing,” said Durbin.
In making his announcement to the staff, he said, he had told them that some would be glad to see him go, some would be ambivalent and others would miss him.
“They will miss me for about 15 minutes and then they will move on,” he said. “That is the way education is and that is fine.”
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